In 1986, Isaiah 54 was given as God's words to me. I really liked a lot of it which I carefully underlined. But there was much I didn't relate to. Recently the Lord brought me back to Isaiah 54. But this time it was the parts that weren't underlined that became mine. The very parts I had rejected and didn't want to ever have to identify with were now my solace and proof that not only is my experience scriptural, but it is the very place God has brought me to fulfill His call on my life. May these words be Life to you who start 1998 on stormy seas. Do you sometimes feel like God impregnated you with a dream or vision which now lies barren and dried up? Have others gone on to receive and bear fruit while you seem passed over and rejected? Cheer up! Isaiah 54:1 tells the barren woman to sing for joy because He promises the spiritual children of the desolate one will be more than that of the married. I believe this is a word in due season to many who have persevered and suffered long, been disappointed and almost given up. God goes on to say, "Fear not, for you shall not be ashamed; neither be confounded and depressed, for you shall not be put to shame; for you shall forget the shame of your youth... For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is His name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth He is called. For the Lord has called you like a woman forsaken, grieved in spirit and heartsore..." (Is. 54:4a,5 6) Do you realize what this means?! I'd been so grieved in spirit and sore at heart I was sure I'd missed God that my position was unscriptural. But here, by God's Word, I am told this is the place I've been brought to by Him the condition He designed as the place of His calling on my life coming to pass. Verse 7 says, "For a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion and mercies I gather you to Me again." We know that ultimately God will never leave us or forsake us but there are many examples in Scripture where God for a short while looked the other way or left people to themselves. God did this to Hezekiah in 2 Chron. 32:31 to see what was in his heart. In Isaiah 57:11,17 God hid His face from Judah, letting him backslide, but only so He could expose the error of his ways and heal him. In 2 Cor. 1:8 9 Paul experienced this seeming abandonment, causing him to despair of life itself but only so he would learn to stop trusting himself and put his trust in God alone. Sometimes we forget that apart from God we can do nothing and God must let us really know this by experience if we are to be truly used of Him. And it hurts! But now back to Isaiah 54. The remainder of it deals with our being made complete and whole in Him, being vindicated and delivered from our enemies. It is written to a people "afflicted, storm tossed and not comforted" (verse 11) with the purpose of this state being revealed as God's way of laying a new foundation for us. Hallelujah! Does this help you, suffering one? You are being prepared right now for your calling! Let me share a lovely parable. Remember the wolf pack I wrote of in our December letter? There was the Alpha wolf who ruled and the Omega who was a lowly outcast used as the brunt of the all disagreements in the pack. We talked about how Jesus had become an Omega on earth but was coming again as Alpha. But something wonderful happened later in the program. The couple who had established the pack raised another orphaned litter to add to the pack (wolves adore and accept all pups). In this group was a black female who was a loner never playing, always holding back a sure "Omega". As the pups were introduced to the pack and began to grow, this wolf indeed began to look like she would become the new Omega. Almost all hopes for any good life were cut off from her. But then an awesome thing occurred. When it was time for the Alpha to choose a mate (wolves mate for life and only the Alpha gets to have offspring), almost unbelievably He chose the little black wolf! The upcoming Omega became the Alpha female by his choice. What a picture of us in our "omega" conditions (abandoned, heartsore and grieved in spirit, storm tossed and not comforted) BUT called and chosen to be the Bride of the risen Christ our Alpha to bear much fruit for Him! "For [simply] consider your own call, brethren; not many [of you were considered to be] wise, according to human estimates and standards; not many influential and powerful; not many of high and noble birth. [No,] for God selected deliberately chose what in the world is foolish to put the wise to shame, and what the world calls weak to put the strong to shame. And God also selected deliberately chose [what] in the world [is] lowborn and insignificant, and branded and treated with contempt, even the things that are nothing, that He might depose and bring to nothing the things that are; so that no mortal man should (have pretense for glorying and) boast in the presence of God." (I Cor. 1:26 29 Amp) So take heart O waiting saints. God's ways are not our ways. He is fitting you to be His bride to bear His children. If the way is hard for a while, it will be worth it all for He will take away your shame and cause you to behold His glory. Let this message of hope carry you through this new year. May we all grow in the knowledge of His ways and become a dwelling place for Him. You don't always have to understand the way He is the Way. You don't have to make yourself perfect you can't but He will. Thank you Lord that our times of pain, shame and barrenness are known to You and sometimes even designed by You to bring us to a better place. Thank you that when we are heartsore and grieved in spirit, You are calling us and though you may let us be tempest tossed and not comforted for a while, it is only to set us strongly on the Solid Rock. Amen. It was a great blessing to get many wonderful cards and letters at Christmas. Please keep up the correspondence during the year as we enjoy hearing from you. We love you and thank you for the incredible gift you are to us.
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